It also was the first time new Mayor Charlie Hales has had to deal with an officer-involved shooting. Hales visited the scene overnight and received a briefing from Police Chief Mike Reese on Monday morning.

Hales declined comment through a spokesman.

Judy Leach, director of marketing and communication for Portland Adventist, said the man told a hospital employee that he had a gun and threatened the employee while in the emergency department.

The staff locked down the medical center, activating an emergency plan known as "code silver," which means an armed, combative subject is on the grounds, Leach said. The staff also called 9-1-1.

"We practice these scenarios all the time," she said.

The man asked to be led to an exit and left the building alone, Leach said. Security observed him and kept in touch with police as they responded.

Leach said she was not permitted to say what time the man was admitted to the hospital or what he was being treated for.

Simpson said police were called to the hospital at 9:24 p.m. on a report of a man with a black handgun in a hospital courtyard. As officers sped to the scene, dispatchers told them that 9-1-1 callers said the man had pointed the gun at a security guard’s vehicle and that he was in the employee parking lot.

Police called in Project Respond, Multnomah County’s mobile mental health crisis response team, in addition to the Police Bureau’s air support unit, a K-9 unit and paramedics.

Officers gave the armed man several commands, Simpson said. All three officers then fired at him and he fell to the ground.

The officers approached the man from behind ballistic shields and gave him first aid, Simpson said, but paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Police identified the three officers involved in Sunday’s shooting as Sgt. Nathan Voeller, a 12-year-veteran; Officer Andrew Hearst, a three-year-veteran, and Officer Royce Curtiss, a seven-year-veteran. They are set to be interviewed about what happened on Wednesday, Simpson said.

Voeller was involved in the fatal police shooting of unarmed fugitive David E. Hughes in November 2006. He fired seven rounds from an AR-15 rifle. Two other officers also fired their handguns.

Some residents at the Cherry Blossom Estates, across the street from the hospital parking lot, said they heard eight to nine shots ring out.

Anahi Segobia, 15, said she and her family thought they heard fireworks, but when they peeked out their windows they saw flashing lights and officers with guns pointed at the employee lot and nearby parking garage.

“We knew by then that it was something more serious than fireworks,” she said.

Two mobile police command units arrived soon after, followed by a helicopter.

“It was kind of like a movie,” Segobia said. “But when something like that happens almost 100 feet from where you live and police aren’t telling you much about what’s going on, it’s scary.”

Pam Deerwester, 54, said she was on her computer when her 19-year-old son told her that the loud bangs they heard were likely gunshots.

“There are some weird things that have gone on around here, but never any gunshots,” she said.

Police said they would release no other details Monday.

Once the investigation is finished, details of the shooting will be presented to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and reviewed by a grand jury, Simpson said.

In addition to finding that Portland police often used excessive force in dealing with people suffering mental health crises, the federal investigation criticized police for not providing medical attention fast enough when officers use deadly force and for allowing a 48-hour waiting period to question officers involved in shootings.

The last fatal officer-involved shooting by Portland police occurred on July 28. Portland police shot Billy Wayne Simms, 28, six times in the parking lot of a 7-Eleven at 6840 N. Fessenden St. Officer Justin Clary told a grand jury that he fired his AR-15 rifle through the passenger window of Simms’ car after he thought Simms was reaching for a gun in the car’s center console.

Police said they believed Simms had shot at another car in Southeast Portland earlier in the day. They found a .22-caliber handgun tucked into Simms’ waistband, near his right rear hip. A grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by police.